What is the meaning of Matthew 5:31? It has also been said, • Jesus is continuing the “You have heard… but I say to you” rhythm (Matthew 5:21, 27, 33), exposing how popular teaching had diluted God’s intent. • By prefacing with this phrase, He contrasts human tradition with divine authority (Mark 7:8-13). • The traditional statement He is about to quote comes from Deuteronomy 24:1, but only in part; the crowd knew the letter, yet missed the heart (Matthew 15:8-9). • Christ is preparing to elevate the discussion from legal loopholes to covenant faithfulness (Malachi 2:14-16). ‘Whoever divorces his wife • Divorce was common in first-century Judaism, often for trivial reasons, yet God’s design from the beginning was permanent one-flesh union (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). • Jesus’ words remind hearers that marriage is God-created, not man-made; therefore, ending it is never casual. • Other Scriptures reinforce the seriousness: – “What God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Mark 10:9) – Paul echoes, “A wife must not separate from her husband… and a husband must not divorce his wife.” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11) • By spotlighting the husband’s action (“divorces his wife”), Jesus indicts the one wielding power, protecting the vulnerable wife from being discarded (Exodus 22:22-24). must give her a certificate of divorce.’ • Deuteronomy 24:1-4 required a written certificate to safeguard the woman’s reputation and right to remarry; it was a concession to human hardness, not an endorsement of divorce (Matthew 19:7-8). • Jeremiah 3:8 illustrates how God Himself used the imagery of a certificate to show Israel the gravity of breaking covenant. • Jesus will shortly tighten the standard: divorce plus remarriage equals adultery, except on grounds of sexual immorality (Matthew 5:32). • The certificate, meant to restrain cruelty, had become a license for easy dissolution. Christ calls His followers to higher righteousness—faithful love reflecting God’s own covenant loyalty (Ephesians 5:25-32). summary Matthew 5:31 shows Jesus confronting a culture that treated divorce lightly. By quoting the partial Mosaic allowance, He exposes hearts looking for exits instead of honoring covenant. God’s original plan remains one lifelong, faithful union; any concession was due to human sinfulness, not divine preference. Christ redirects His disciples from legal minimalism to wholehearted commitment, urging marriages that mirror His steadfast love and truth. |
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